Hammer-rail control



Patented Aug. 12, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY K. SANDELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO MILLS NOVELTY COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

HAMMER-RAIL CONTROL.

Application inea may 24,

To cti/i whom t muy concer/L:

Be 1t known that I, HENRY K. SNDELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful f a Improvement 1n hammer-Rail (,ontrols, ol which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for controlling the hammer rail of a player piano action and is fully described in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawing in which:

The figure is a partial vertical section through the mounting for a player piano action showing my device for controlling the hammer rail.

The device as illustrated is adapted to be used in conjunction with the player piano mechanism shown in my ending applica-- tion Serial No. 568,226 filed J une 14th, 1922. lt comprises a hammer rail l0 which is mounted at each end on an arm 11 which is pivotally mounted at 12 to the bracket 13 of the action frame.

The arm 11 also carries a counter-weight 14, which together wtih the .spring 15 at each end of the hammer rail serves to partially balance the weight of the hammer rail and make its operation easier.

The hammer rail 10 is pivotally connected at 16 to one end of a rod 17, the opposite end of the rod being pivotally connected to a lever 18 which is hingedly mounted by a pin 19 to the support brace 20. The lever 18 has pins 21 and 22 at its ends located on a line below the point- 19. These pins are connected through rods 23 and 211 with the cores 25 and 26 of the solenoids 27 and 28.

When the solenoid 28 which is connected with a suitable source of electricity (not shown), is energized, the hammer rail 10 is drawn down to the dotted line position 10a, thereby permitting the hammer (not shown) to travel farther and strike the piano string a much harder blow. lhen the solenoid 27 is actuated, the rod 17 lifts the hammer rail to the position 10b which is its maximum forward movement whereby the softest tones are obtained as is well known.

The solenoid 29 occupies a position inside the solenoid 27 and has a core 30 which is pivotally connected through a rod 31 with the lever 18 at a point nearly in line with the pivot point 19. Consequently when the 1923. serial No. 641,098.

solenoid 29 is energized, the lever 18 is drawn down until the rod 31 is in line with the pivot 19, thereby lifting the hammer rail 10 to a position midway between the normal position shown and the full up position 10b. The solenoid 32 gives a corresponding half down position.

lt will be understood that these positions correspond to iive varying degrees of volume of tone from the softest produced by energizing the solenoid 27, through the increasingly louder tones corresponding to the solenoid 29, the normal or neutral position, and the solenoid 32 to the loudest when the solenoid 28 is actuated.

lhile l have shown and described certain embodiments of my invention, it is to be understood that it is capable of many modifications. Changes therefore in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims, in which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent in my invention as broadly as possible in view of the prior art.

I claim:

1. ln a means for raising and lowering the hammer rail of a player piano, a lever pivotally mounted near its center, a connection between said lever and hammer rail, and a plurality of electrically controlled means acting at different points on said lever for moving said lever to a plurality of positions.

2. ln a means for raising and loweringr the hammer rail of a player piano, a lever pivotally mounted near its center, a connection between said lever and hammer rail, and a plurality of solenoids having cores operably connected to said lever for moving said lever to a plurality of positions.

3. In a means for raising and lowering the hammer rail of a player piano, a lever pivota-lly mounted near its center, a connection between said lever and hammer rail, and a plurality of solenoids having cores operably connected to said lever for moving` said lever to a plurality of positions, said connection from said cores being distributed throughout the length of said lever.

L1. ln a means for raising and lowering the hammer rail of a player piano, a lever' pivotally mounted near its center, a connection between said lever and hammer rail, and a plurality of solenoids having cores operably connected to said lever for moving said lever to a plurality of positions, one of said solenoids acting; on said lever along a line only slightly offset 'from the pivot or' said lever whereby only slight movement of the Corel results 'from actuation of the solenoid.

5. In a means for raisin` and lowering the hammer rail of a player piano, a lever pivotally mounted near its center, a conne@ tion between said lever and hammer rail, anda plurality of solenoids having` Cores operahly connected to said lever for moving said lever to a plurality o'l positions, one of said solenoid cores being` connected to said lever at a point but slightly offset from a line extending from the end of said core through the pivot point of the lever when the lever is in normal position Wherehy on actuation of said solenoid, the Connection is pulled into line with said pivot 20 point of the lever.

HENRY KL SANDELL. 

